inheritance; and he, like Anne, had certainly been in Scotland, before
they met at Craig Fernie, for a longer period than a period of three
weeks He accordingly informed Sir Patrick that the lady and gentleman
had been in Scotland for more than twenty-one days--and then added a
question on his own behalf: "Don't let me hurry you, Sir--but, shall you
soon have done?"

"I shall have done, after two more questions," answered Sir Patrick.
"Am I to understand that the lady claims, on the strength of the
circumstances which you have mentioned to me, to be your friend's wife?"

Geoffrey made an affirmative reply. The readiest means of obtaining Sir
Patrick's opinion was, in this case, to answer, Yes. In other words,
to represent Anne (in the character of "the lady") as claiming to be
married to Arnold (in the character of "his friend").

Having made this concession to circumstances, he was, at the same time,
quite cunning enough to see that it was of vital importance to the
purpose which he had in view, to confine himself strictly to this one
perversion of the truth. There could be plainly no depending on the
lawyer's opinion, unless that opinion was given on the facts exactly a
s they had occurred at the inn. To the facts he had, thus far, carefully
adhered; and to the facts (with the one inevitable departure from them
which had been just forced on him) he determined to adhere to the end.

"Did no letters pass between the lady and gentleman?" pursued Sir
Patrick.

"None that I know of," answered Geoffrey, steadily returning to the
truth.